ITD

CHAPTER XXV

"Lady Devon!"

A bright, chirpy voice interrupted Courtney's thoughts, and she turned to see a young lady with curly hair standing in front of her, looking extremely excited.

It was the second daughter of the Aberdeen Countdom, if Courtney remembered correctly. They had never exchanged more than a few words before, yet the girl was gazing at her as if she had just found a long-lost sister.

"Lady Devon! I'm so envious. How is His Highness Richard so handsome...? Oh, I'm Celine Aberdeen. I really hope we can become good friends!"

"Celine! Don't cut in! Hello, Lady Devon. I'm Hannah Anson. Just call me Hannah!"

It wasn't just the two of them. A wave of young ladies surged forward, all introducing themselves, their faces brimming with excitement. While the noblewomen were interested in the power Courtney would soon possess, the young girls were fascinated by the romantic love story with the handsome prince.

Of course, the young ladies who had just been slandering Courtney were not among them. They sat in silence, wearing disapproving expressions, no longer daring to speak out loud.

Courtney had never experienced such an outpouring of admiration before. She was bewildered as she greeted them.

"Y-Yes, it's... it's nice to meet you all."

Unlike her, still struggling to grasp this new reality, the young girls were full of enthusiasm. The girl who had introduced herself as Hannah spoke with an excited voice.

"Please come visit our home next time. But really, how did you fall in love with His Highness Richard?"

"Pardon?"

"Everyone says the Crown Prince courted you passionately! Oh, it's so romantic!"

Celine chimed in, clasping her hands together with a dreamy expression. The young ladies around them squealed, their excitement so intense that it made Courtney's ears ring.

As soon as Celine had calmed down a little, Courtney asked quickly,

"Who said that?"

"His Highness Richard!"

"The Crown Prince!"

"Yes, His Highness said so."

The young girls responded all at once, like a choir singing out of tune. Still, the culprit was clear. Courtney swiftly turned her head, scanning the crowd for Richard.

He was still surrounded by noblewomen, including her mother, Patricia, who had somehow managed to join the group.

With a disgruntled expression, Courtney stared at Richard's side profile.

Even though she hadn't asked him to, Richard had taken it upon himself to spread such rumors, showing no concern for the potential damage to his own reputation.

Sensing her gaze, Richard turned and locked eyes with her, immediately flashing a gentle smile.

Though his intentions were questionable, he had always been thoughtful toward her, making it impossible for Courtney to completely resist feeling a little flustered, even after learning about his strange habits.

"Wow, that smile is dazzling."

"He really seems to cherish you, Lady Devon."

"I'm so jealous."

Hearing these comments from all around made Courtney feel even more self-conscious. Just as she was about to look away, Richard finished greeting those around him and, with long strides, walked toward her.

The young ladies gasped in admiration and scattered like sparrows. Courtney awkwardly stood up and asked,

"What's the matter?"

"I'm about to leave."

"Oh, right."

"But there's something I forgot."

Confused, she tilted her head. Richard gave her a mysterious smile before leaning in slightly toward her.

His lips softly brushed against Courtney's cheek. A light peck, gentle and quick, but enough to make her freeze like one of the garden statues.

For a moment, it felt as if the entire garden had fallen silent. Everyone watching seemed to stop breathing, caught in the stillness.

Ususu-

As the wind whispered through the trees, Courtney snapped back to her senses.

"W-What did you just...!"

"Well then, I'll be off."

Leaving Courtney behind, blushing as red as a ripe octopus, Richard turned casually and walked away.

As she stood there, dumbfounded, the young ladies quickly gathered around her. The public display of affection from someone as powerful as the Crown Prince was more captivating to them than any war could be.

"Oh my, I thought my heart was going to stop."

"How can he be so romantic?"

"His eyes were completely filled with love."

It was the perfect scene for a blossoming spring day. The young girls, their faces dreamy, showered Courtney with praises laced with envy. And then, in all the excitement, one of the girls made an unfortunate mistake.

"Exactly! I mean, that strange Crown Prince Richard, to be like this..."

Silence fell as though cold water had been thrown over them.

The Crown Prince was known to be kind and gentle, but it was also widely understood that he had a reputation for displaying an erratic temperament towards those who displeased him. The girls who admired him knew these stories better than most.

But, as with all matters of power, just because something is true doesn't mean it should be spoken aloud. Realizing her slip of the tongue, the girl began to back away, trembling.

"I, um, I should really get going now. My grandmother isn't feeling well at home."

"Oh my, yes, you should hurry."

"No, wait a minute."

Courtney tried to stop her, but the other girls were quick to nudge the offender away, encouraging her to leave. The girl hurried off, practically fleeing.

Turning to Celine Aberdeen, Courtney asked,

"Miss Aberdeen, I don't know much about this... Can you tell me more about His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"I-I-I wouldn't know anything. I'm sure you know much better, Lady Devon."

"And you, Miss Anson?"

"The Crown Prince is always absolutely flawless. Handsome, kind, perfect in every way. Isn't that what everyone thinks?"

"Of course!"

Hannah Anson's baseless praise was echoed by all the other young ladies in unison, as if they had coordinated their responses beforehand. Courtney was left speechless, feeling like an outsider in a conversation everyone else seemed to have rehearsed.

Sensing the awkwardness, and being the eldest and most perceptive noble lady here, Hannah seized the opportunity to shift the subject.

"Now, let's talk about something else. Lady Devon, who's making your wedding dress?"

"Will the wedding take place inside the palace? Maybe in the Grand Temple?"

"Uh... It's not decided yet."

The rest of the tea party was filled with excited chatter about Courtney's impending wedding to the Crown Prince, and no one made any further missteps.

However, Courtney's thoughts grew more complicated.

The Crown Prince, whom she had thought was merely a bit of a pervert, now seemed to be a budding tyrant with a fractured personality.

Could this marriage really proceed smoothly? Her confidence was beginning to waver.